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What is the Jesus Prayer?

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner" — an ancient prayer of unceasing communion with God.

The Words of the Prayer

  • "Lord" — acknowledges the sovereignty of Christ.
  • "Jesus Christ" — names the Person who is both human and divine.
  • "Son of God" — confesses His divinity and His eternal relationship with the Father.
  • "Have mercy on me" — expresses repentance, trust, and total dependence on God.
  • "A sinner" — the humility of honest self-knowledge before God.

How is the Jesus Prayer Practiced?

  • It is prayed continuously throughout the day, often coordinated with breathing.
  • A prayer rope (chotki or komboskini) is used to count repetitions and maintain focus.
  • Under a spiritual father's guidance, the prayer can be practiced as a formal discipline.
  • The goal is for the prayer to descend from the mind into the heart — the hesychast ideal.

Biblical and Patristic Roots

  • The prayer draws on the Bartimaeus cry: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of David, have mercy on me' (Mark 10:47).
  • St. Paul's command to 'pray without ceasing' (1 Thess 5:17) is its scriptural anchor.
  • The Philokalia, a collection of patristic writings, is the primary source for hesychast teaching on the prayer.
  • St. Gregory Palamas defended the hesychast practice in the 14th century.

Next steps

What is the Jesus Prayer? | Orthodox Christianity 101